Grapevine named ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of grapevine named ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’, primarily adapted to the growing conditions of the temperate regions, and characterized by its medium vigor; erect growth habit; medium sized, circular shaped leaves; small, conical, medium dense berry clusters with two middle size wings; blue-black berries with slightly firm flesh, none to herbaceous taste and none to very weak flesh coloration; primary use for wine; and resistance to winter temperatures (to −22° C.), resistance to downy mildew, and tolerance to powdery mildew.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Vitis×vinifera (hybrid).

Variety name: ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct summer/fall bearing grapevine variety, botanically known as Vitis vinifera, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’.

The new grapevine ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’ is a product of a controlled breeding program conducted by the inventors in Udine, Italy. The objective of the breeding program was to deyelop a new grapevine variety particularly characterized by resistance to cold (<−20° C.), resistance to downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola), and tolerance to powdery mildew (Uncinula necator).

The new grapevine ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’ originated from a cross made by the inventors in 2002 in Udine, Italy. The female or seed parent is the grapevine variety, Vitis vinifera cv. ‘Merlot’ (unpatented), and the male or pollen parent is the grapevine variety, Vitis cv. ‘20/3’ (Bianca×SK77-4/5) (unpatented).

The new grapevine ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’ was discovered and selected by the inventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in 2002 in Udine, Italy. Asexual reproduction of the new grapevine variety by grafting was first performed in February 2004 in Rauscedo, Friuli Venezia Giulia region, Italy, and has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true to type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘MERLOT KANTHUS’ is primarily adapted to the climate and growing conditions of the temperate regions with average yearly temperature about 13° C., minimum winter temperature about −20° C., annual rainfall around 700-1500 mm of rain (e.g. North-Eastern Italy, Friuli). This region provides the necessary year-round temperatures required for it to produce and maintain a strong vigorous plant with consistent fruit production from April through November on primocanes and in the ensuing year from April through November on the floricanes.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be unique characteristics of ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’, which in combination distinguish this grapevine plant as a new and distinct variety.

-   -   1. Medium vigor;     -   2. Erect growth habit;     -   3. Medium sized, circular shaped leaves with medium to medium         green upper surfaces and light green lower surfaces and medium         texture;     -   4. Small, conical, medium dense berry clusters with two middle         size wings; blue-black berries with slightly firm flesh, none to         herbaceous taste, and none to very weak flesh coloration;         primarily used for wine and maturing in early September (Middle         Friuli, North-Eastern Italy);     -   5. Primocanes and floricanes with a circular cross section,         brownish colour, no lenticels, and short-medium internodes         (diameter 8 mm);     -   6. Harvesting time in early September (Middle Friuli,         North-Eastern Italy); and     -   7. Resistance to winter temperature (−22° C.), resistance to         downy mildew, and tolerance to powdery mildew.

Plants of the new grapevine ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’ differ from plants of the parents, Vitis vinifera ‘Merlot’ (unpatented) and Vitis cross ‘20/3’ (unpatented), in the following characteristics described in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Comparison with parent varieties New Cultivar Female Parent Male Parent Charac- ‘MERLOT ‘Merlot’ ‘20/3’ teristic KANTHUS’ (unpatented) (unpatented) vigor: medium medium medium growth erect horizontal semi-erect habit leaf small to medium, medium, Medium size, medium to dark dark green color light green color green color (upper (upper surface), (upper surface), surface), light green color (lower green color green color (lower surface), very few (lower surface), surface), no hairs in hairs in both no hairs in both both surfaces, surfaces, wedge surfaces, wedge- wedge shape, shape, medium shaped—kidney- medium texture, texture shaped, medium texture cluster low weight, conical low weight, long, low weight, with two middle with 1-2 wings, conical, with 1-2 size wings, loose or medium, berry skin wings, medium medium dense, with blue black dense, berry skin berry skin with color, soft flesh, with green-yellow blue blackcolour, neutral taste, no color, slightly soft flesh, neutral flesh coloration firm flesh, neutral taste, no flesh taste, no flesh coloration coloration primocane circular cross circular cross oblate cross and section, brownish section, brownish section, brownish floricane colour, lenticels: color, lenticels: color, lenticels: absent, short- absent, short- absent, medium medium internodes, medium inter- internodes, diameter: small nodes, diameter diameter small (about 8 mm) small (about 8 mm) (about 8 mm) harvesting First decade Early-medium Early (end time September(Middle early September August, Middle Friuli, North- (Middle Friuli, Friuli, North- Eastern Italy), North-Eastern Eastern Italy) Italy) resistances resistant to winter Average resistance resistant to winter temperature (−22° to winter tempera- temperature not C.), resistant to ture (−22° C.), checked, resistant downy resistant to very low resistance to downy mildew, downy mildew, to downy mildew, resistant to tolerant to powdery very low resistance powdery mildew mildew. to powdery mildew

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, the most similar to the new grapevine ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’ is the female parent ‘Merlot’, to which a comparison has been provided above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new grapevine ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’ showing the colors as true as is reasonably possible with colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the color of ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’.

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B show a typical fruit cluster of ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’ taken on Sep. 9, 2012, in Udine, Italy.

FIG. 2 shows a typical mature leaf (upper surface, left and lower surface, right) of ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’ taken on May 31, 2012, in Udine, Italy.

FIG. 3 shows a typical mature vine of ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’ taken on Aug. 3, 2012.

FIG. 4 shows a close-up view of typical mature fruit of ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’ taken on Sep. 9, 2012, in Udine, Italy.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following description of ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’ unless otherwise noted, is based on observations taken during the 2011, 2012, and 2013 growing seasons(s) in Udine, Italy and Fossalon di Grado (GO), Italy, from plants dug from a nursery located in Rauscedo (PN), Italy during the beginning of December 2007 and planted approximately 16 to 20 weeks later in Udine, Italy and Fossalon di Grado (GO), Italy. The phenotypical descriptions and color designations stated for the new variety may vary, depending upon variations in environmental factors, including weather (temperature, humidity and light intensity), day length, soil type, location and cultural conditions. ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.), (Edition V, 2007), except where general colors of ordinary significance are used.

‘MERLOT ‘Merlot’ Characteristic KANTHUS’ (unpatented) GENERAL Resistance to Resistant to downy Susceptible to downy pest/disease mildew, tolerant to mildew and to powdery powdery mildew mildew Resistance to natural Resistant to winter cold Resistant to winter cold elements down to −23° C. down to −22° C. VINE Vigor medium medium Trunk diameter 6 cm (6 yrs-old plant) 6 cm (6 yrs-old plant) Bark color RHS 177B Dark brown underbark color RHS 179B Light brown texture n.a. n.a. Canes length Internode length Internode length about cm 10.5 cm 10 width 8 mm 8 mm Shoots shape Erected, cross section: Horizontal, cross circular, surface: with section: circular, stripes, nodes and surface: smooth, nodes internodes without hairs and internodes without hairs color internodes with red Internodes with green (RHS 185B) and green colour on ventral and (RHS 144B) pigmenta- dorsal side, nodes with tion on both sides, green ventral and dorsal nodes with red (RHS side 185B) and green (RHS 144B) dorsal side and green (RHS 144B) ventral side Tendrils form Bifid or trifid bifid color RHS 143B Green texture normal normal number 2 or <2 consecutive 2 or <2 consecutive Buds size average average shape round round color RHS 139C and Light brown RHS181A number 2/node 2/node time of budbreak early early-medium LEAVES Size medium medium Number of leaflets n.a. n.a. Glossiness Medium medium Cross section shape Twisted Flat Color (immature) Upper surface RHS 140B and RHS Light green 185B Under surface RHS 1408 and RHS green 185B Color (mature) Upper surface RHS 143B Dark green Under surface RHS 143C green Petiole Length (cm) 6.2 6.0 Color (upper surface) RHS 145B and RHS green 184D Color (under surface) RHS I45C and RHS green 184D Stipule orientation n.a. n.a. FLOWERS Flowering period (time Early June Early June of beginning of flowering) Sex hermaphrodite hermaphrodite Size Average average Diameter (cm) 0.3 (stamens) 0.3 (stamens) Stamen color RHS 4D Pistil color RHS 149A Fragrance n.a. n.a. Flower number (at 3^(rd) n.a. n.a. node from tip of lateral mean and range) Petals Length (cm) n.a. n.a. Width (cm) n.a. n.a. Overall shape calyptra calyptra Calyptra Color RHS 134A green Sepals Length (cm) n.a. n.a. Width (cm) n.a. n.a. Overall shape n.a. n.a. Color (immature) n.a. n.a. Upper surface Under surface Color (mature) n.a. n.a. Upper surface Under surface Pedicel Length (mm) 45 (cluster) 45 Color RHS 145C green FRUIT Primocane time of September 6th September 7th fruiting (1^(st) pick) Clusters cluster weight Low (g 160) Low (g 160) cluster shape conical conical cluster length mm 170 medium avg. berries per cluster 180 180 avg. clusters per shoot 2 2 Berries Berry size g 1.67 g 1.80 Berry length (cm) 1.60 1.50 Berry width (cm) 1.60 1.50 Overall shape of berry broad ellipsoid Broad ellipsoid Berry Texture soft soft Berry Skin Color RHS 137C green (immature) Berry Skin Color RHS 99A Blue black (mature, at 19° Bx) Berry Flesh Color RHS 148B Soluble solids (%) 22.4 22.0 Titratable acidity (as 5.1 5.5 g/L tartaric acid) Sugar/acid ratio 4.4 4.0 Firmness soft soft Seeds 2-3 2-3 Seed color RHS 163A and RHS 106B Skin cracking? no rarely Juice color transparent transparent Berry taste Neutral neutral Eating quality n.a. n.a. Berry uses wine wine Shipping quality n.a. n.a. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct grapevine, referred to as ‘MERLOT KANTHUS’, as herein described and illustrated by the characteristics set forth above. 